A typical fishing pole has a handle, a rod, and a plurality of line guides spaced apart along the rod. Typically, the rod is a straight rod. A reel seat is provided on the handle for supporting a fishing reel. Line from the reel is guided along the straight rod via the line guides which are axially aligned along the rod. Line leaves the rod at a distal end via a line guide provided on a tip end of the rod. In many cases, the rod includes a plurality of segments that are joined together with ferrules to enable breakdown and storage of the fishing pole. However, these rods are typically 6, 7, 8 or even 9 feet long which means they are not compact, even when broken down and stowed.
Several attempts have been made to provide a compact fishing pole. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,541,759; 2,559,934; 2,610,427; 3,216,144; 4,027,419; and 5,444,934 disclose various fishing poles with short rods that attempt to provide benefits of longer rods through various structural features.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,541,759 discloses a fishing pole having a handle that includes an axial extension with a socket for removably receiving a fishing rod. The fishing rod has an end with a bowed portion and a loop that provides resiliency for the bowed portion that attempts to approximate the resiliency of a conventional (and longer) casting rod. However, this fishing pole does not appear to impart additional bending stiffness as the rod is loaded and bent with increasing degree while retrieving a fish. Secondly, the loop forms a coil with a central axis that is transverse to the rod. This coil configuration can snag on tree branches, brush and fishing line.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,559,934 likewise discloses a fishing pole having a handle and a stub rod that is carried by a helically coiled spring. However, the rod does not appear to impart a significant increase in bending stiffness as the degree of bending displacement of the rod is increased when the rod is deformed under load while retrieving a fish.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,610,427 discloses a fishing pole having a relatively short rod including a shaft having a coil spring device adjacent the handle to give greater strength and flexibility. The spring device includes a pair of similar coils disposed in side-by-side relation with a central axis that extends transverse to the rod shaft. However, the fishing rod only has a single tip, and does not appear to provide a significant increase in bending stiffness concomitant with an increase in displacement of the tip end of the rod when retrieving a fish. Secondly, the coil configuration can snag on tree branches, brush and fishing line.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,216,144 discloses a fishing pole having a rod and handle that can be mated in a bait casting configuration and a fly fishing configuration. In the fly fishing configuration, a rod member is affixed to a substantially rigid handle via an axially extending coil spring. The coil is then clamped to the handle, with the coil providing an increase in flexibility of the entire rod length. However, the fishing pole does not appear to provide a significant increase in bending stiffness. The rod and coil are loaded and bent with increasing degree. However, the fishing rod is manufactured from cycalac and does not utilize the benefits of a coil spring in order to mimic action of a longer rod.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,419 discloses a fishing pole that includes a reel housing and a rod that is pivotally carried by the housing for compact stowage. The effective length of the rod is relatively short. However, a sensing tip and a support leaf provide a bifurcated end construction which attempts to provide the increased sensitivity of a much longer rod. Both the sensing tip and the support leaf are bowed downwardly in a direction that a fishing line is drawn when retrieving a fish. When retrieving a relatively large fish, the sensing tip bends further downwardly to mate up against an upper face of the support leaf which effectively stiffens up the rod to aid in fighting and landing the fish. According to one construction, the rod is constructed of a composite material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,934 discloses a telescoping or collapsible fishing pole having a handle and a rod; the rod telescopes into a rod-mast. The fishing pole can be used in a partially collapsed manner in restricted areas, such as in ice fishing huts. The rod can also be fully extended for maximum casting power for use in areas where there is a significant amount of clearance or room for use of the rod of the fishing pole. However, the fishing pole does not appear to impart a significant increase in bending stiffness as the rod is bent with increasing degree while retrieving a fish.
Accordingly, improvements are needed to eliminate the above-described deficiencies.